Department for Transport

Railways: Wales

lord morris of aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for devolving greater infrastructure powers to the Welsh Government, in particular powers over rail services.

baroness vere of norbiton: We are working closely with Welsh Government to divest the Core Valley Lines from Network Rail to Transport for Wales, which will give the Welsh Government ownership and responsibility for the infrastructure. Furthermore, the Williams Rail Review is exploring different industry structures including devolution and will produce a set of recommendations in autumn.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Consumer Goods: Safety

lord porter of spalding: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the decision by Whirlpool UK to recall 500,000 unsafe tumble dryers, what steps they are taking to ensure that there is a regularly updated database of recalled products that can be accessed by the public, retailers, manufacturers and auction houses.

lord henley: The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) makes available information on recalled electrical products through its dedicated product recall website. The Government urges consumers to register their electrical products with manufacturers as the easiest way for consumers to stay informed on any safety issues. Consumers can access the Register My Appliance service through the OPSS product recall site.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Egypt: Prisoners

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they will make to the government of Egypt about (1) establishing an immediate independent inquiry into the circumstances of the collapse in court of the former President Morsi and his death soon after, and (2) guaranteeing that family and legal visits will be allowed to all prisoners held on remand and during long trials.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​I have been following recent developments in Egypt carefully and have been receiving regular updates. I note the international attention former President Morsi's death has attracted and await with interest the results of the independent medical report ordered by the Egyptian Prosecutor General into the causes and circumstances.Prison conditions is one of our human rights priorities in Egypt. We raise the issue of family visits regularly with the Egyptian authorities, most recently in May.

Commonwealth: Diplomatic Service

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government which countries the UK Commonwealth Envoy has visited since the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Since taking up the role in June 2018, the UK Commonwealth Envoy has visited the following Commonwealth countries: Rwanda, Kenya, India, Barbados, Saint Lucia, South Africa and the Seychelles. The Commonwealth Envoy has called on all Commonwealth High Commissioners in London, and is in regular contact with them (including at frequent meetings of the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors and Executive Committee).Outside of the Commonwealth he has travelled to New York: for a Commonwealth Foreign Affairs Ministers' Meeting, a Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group meeting and other Commonwealth-related meetings; Dubai, for Commonwealth meetings at the Plenipotentiary Conference of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), and to consolidate Commonwealth members' support for the re-election of the British Deputy Secretary General of the ITU; and to Addis Ababa, for a UN conference on implementation of the WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement (for which the UK is supporting several Commonwealth countries), and to discuss Commonwealth-African Union collaboration.He has also visited: Brussels, to meet the Ambassador of a Commonwealth government which is not represented in London; and Geneva, for a Commonwealth Health Ministers' Meeting, discussions with the International Trade Centre (which is implementing the UK-funded She Trades Commonwealth Project) and the ITU (re the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation), a discussion with Commonwealth member representatives about increasing collaboration, and to visit the Commonwealth Small States Office, to which the UK has provided specific financial support.

Commonwealth Secretariat: Reform

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress made in reforming the Commonwealth Secretariat.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: At CHOGM 2015, Heads of Government mandated the Secretary-General to convene a high-level group (HLG) to review the full governance arrangements of the Commonwealth Secretariat to ensure that its governance is streamlined and integrated in order to improve oversight, efficiency and transparency. This mandate was reiterated by Heads at CHOGM 2018, who asked Foreign Ministers to make decisions in response to the HLG's findings. Reform and strengthening of the Commonwealth Secretariat is a priority for our period as Commonwealth Chair-in-Office. We have worked with member states and the Commonwealth Secretariat to support the fulfilment of the mandate set by Heads.An HLG, convened by the Secretar- General, first met shortly before CHOGM 2018. Since then, the HLG has submitted two reports. The first - covering roles and responsibilities, funding, and arrangements for the appointment of Secretaries-General - was submitted in early September 2018, and discussed by Foreign Ministers when they met in the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York. At that meeting, Foreign Ministers instructed the Commonwealth Secretariat Board of Governors (of which the UK Commonwealth Envoy is a member) to agree recommendations in the light of that report by 30 November 2018. The Board fulfilled that instruction, unanimously agreeing a set of recommendations through a thorough, transparent and inclusive process. At the end of December 2019, the HLG produced a second report, focused on the Secretariat's collaboration with accredited Commonwealth organisations and other partners. Through a further thorough, transparent and inclusive process the Board of Governors unanimously agreed a set of recommendations in response to that second HLG report.The Foreign Secretary, as current Chair of Commonwealth Foreign Ministers, has recommended that they adopt the recommendations. A few of them have some outstanding questions. We hope that those can be resolved, and the recommendations adopted, soon. Once implemented, they will make a significant difference to the effective governance and operation of the Commonwealth Secretariat and its collaboration with member states and Commonwealth organisations.

Nabeel Rajab

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of a Bahraini court’s decision to reject the application for alternative sentencing of the human rights defender, Nabeel Rajab, given the concern expressed in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office 2018 report on human rights and democracy for Mr Rajab’s sentencing to five years’ imprisonment.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and our Embassy in Manama has closely monitored the trials of Mr Rajab. Officials from our Embassy regularly attended Mr Rajab's court hearings. We are not aware of Mr Rajab’s application, and subsequent rejection, for alternative sentencing. The decision making process of the application of alternative sentencing is subject to meeting qualifying conditions and remains the responsibility of the Bahrain judicial system. We continue to urge the Government of Bahrain to protect freedom of expression for all its citizens in line with its international commitments. We have raised the case at senior levels as part of the UK's ongoing open dialogue with Bahrain. British officials will continue to monitor the case closely

Bahrain: Politics and Government

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what basis their Human Rights and Democracy report, published on 5 June, “welcomed continuing progress in and commitment to the democratic process” in Bahrain following its elections in November 2018; and what account that report took of (1) the governmentof Bahrain's ban on all political opposition from electoral participation in, and (2) condemnation by the United States Congress and the parliaments of the UK, the EU, Ireland and Italy, of those elections.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Bahrain held parliamentary elections for the fifth time in November. The British Government takes note of a number of information sources on Bahrain and we continue to encourage Bahrain to ensure all elections are fair, transparent and inclusive.​

Gulf States: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 June (HL16049), whether the Foreign and Commonwealth Office will continue the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund beyond the 2019–20 financial year; and if so, what the allocated budget will be for the 2020–21 financial year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Integrated Activity Fund (IAF) was established in 2016 with a four-year lifecycle ending in March 2020. A bid for funds to continue the IAF beyond this date is under consideration.​

Yemen: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 18 June (HL16049), whether Yemen was (1) considered as part of the original Gulf Strategy, and (2) a recipient of funding from the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund in 2015; and if not, on which date, and on what basis, they decided to include Yemen in the budget for the 2019–20 financial year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: I refer the Noble Lord to the corrected answer to question HL16049.​

Bahrain: Overseas Aid

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answers by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 17 June (HL16051 and HL16050), what they estimate of the Gulf Integrated Activity Fund’s budget allocated to Bahrain (1) was in the 2018–19 financial year, and (2) is in the 2019–20 financial year.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Integrated Activity Fund funded activity in all six Gulf Cooperation Council states: Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. Many of the projects and programme activities were delivered regionally, so it is not possible to provide a breakdown by beneficiary state.

Yemen: Human Rights

lord bates: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response bythe Earl of Courtown on 20 June (HL Deb, cols 899–900), what action they have taken as a result of the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Situation of human rights in Yemen, including violations and abuses since September 2014, published on 17 August 2018.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We remain deeply concerned about the human rights situation in Yemen and will continue to work with all parties to find a political solution to the conflict. This will help create the conditions for the legitimate Government to improve its capacity to protect human rights.Yemen is a human rights priority country for the UK. In the 2018 Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights and Democracy Report, which was released in June, we highlighted our concerns over women’s rights including girls’ education, the recruitment of child soldiers, arbitrary detention, and attacks on freedom of religion or belief and on freedom of speech and association.

Human Rights

lord greaves: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the UK’s withdrawal from the EUon their ability to make representations to other countriesabout human rights abuses in the face of possible threats by such countries in relation to trade deals and other agreements.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The UK has a long tradition of protecting and promoting human rights in our bilateral relations and multilateral fora. The UK supports the promotion of these values globally and this will continue as we leave the EU. We are committed to upholding the UK's high standards. We are exploring all options in the design of future trade agreements.

Eritrea: Health Centres

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what representations they are making to the government of Eritrea following the closure of health centres managed by the local Catholic Church; and what assessment they have made of whether that government’s take-over proposals also affect other denominations or faiths.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We have raised our concerns with the Eritrean Government over the closure of health centres managed by the Catholic Church. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and we are in contact with the Vatican. We do not think this affects other denominations.

Nicaragua: Political Prisoners

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thepolitical prisoners due to be released in Nicaragua; whether they intend to callfor the release of those still held; and what representations they havemade to the government of Nicaragua about extra-judicial killings and the use of torture.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We welcome the release of political prisoners on 11 June, but remain concerned by allegations that they were subjected to torture and other human rights violations while in prison. We call for all remaining political prisoners in custody to be released. We regularly raise our concerns with the Nicaraguan Government and continue to support the work of the EU, UN and Organization of American States (OAS). We support the EU statement of 13 June and OAS statement of 20 June, urging the Nicaraguan Government to release every person imprisoned for political reasons, close legal cases brought against recently freed prisoners, and provide full guarantees for their security. We are concerned that the amnesty law of 7 June provides impunity for perpetrators of human rights violations committed during last year's anti-government protests. We will continue to monitor the situation in Nicaragua closely.

Ilisu Dam

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whetherTurkey has begun to fill the reservoir of the Ilisu Dam; and how they assess the prospects for negotiations on water flows in both the Tigris and Euphrates.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​The British Government understands that the filling of the reservoir of the Ilisu Dam is yet to commence. The UK encourages dialogue between Turkey and its geographical neighbours on regional issues, including water flows.

Israel: Nuclear Weapons

baroness tonge: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) SIPRI Yearbook 2019, Armaments, Disarmaments and International Security, published on 17 June, which claims that Israel has between 80 and 90 nuclear warheads.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Israel has not declared a nuclear weapons programme. The British Government has consistently called on Israel to join the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty as a non-nuclear weapon state and to upgrade its arrangement to a full scope Comprehensive Safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

China and Iran: British Nationals Abroad

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the respective Nationality Acts of (1) China, and (2) Iran, on British dual nationals,in particular their impact on general safety, vulnerability to blackmail and security risks; what advice they give those dual nationals when travelling to those countries; and what protectionthey give to those when affected.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) produces country-specific travel advice for British nationals. The travel advice for China and Iran contains specific information for British dual nationals. The FCO advises British-Iranian dual nationals against all travel to Iran. The assistance the FCO can provide to British nationals is set out in the public guide, "Support for British nationals abroad: a guide", which also contains information on how we can help dual nationals. Consular assistance is tailored to the individual circumstances of each case, though the FCO cannot normally help dual nationals when they are in the country of their other nationality. Further advice for British-Chinese dual nationals in China is also available on GOV.UK.

Sanctions

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 20 June, whether they can provide examples of the evidence on which they based their answer; and what assessment they have made of whether leadersof countries targeted by UK sanctions care about the effects of such sanctions on citizens of those countries.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​Sanctions are designed to effect a change in behaviour through coercing or constraining an individual or entity, or sending a clear political signal of international discontent at particular behaviour. Linking behaviour change to sanctions explicitly is challenging as it is difficult to judge the extent of the influence of sanctions alone as they are always deployed as part of a broader strategy, accompanied by other policy tools. The majority of sanctions implemented by the UK are EU and UN sanctions. It is difficult to assess the personal opinions of the political leadership of countries which have been sanctioned; however, sanctions are carefully targeted and not intended to be punitive in nature.

Eritrea: Health Centres

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to the letter of 20 June from Lord Alton of Liverpool to Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon and to the Minister of State for Africa about the enforced closure of Church-run health facilities in Eritrea; what assessment theyhave made of the effect ofsuch closures on the health and well-being of the people of Eritrea; whether they have made representations to the government ofEritrea about those closures; and if so, what response they have received.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: We can confirm that the letter of 20 June has been received and will be answered within 20 days in accordance with Cabinet Office Guidance.Whilst the Eritrean Government has a good track record on the provision of basic healthcare, we do not believe that using the military to force closure, or take charge of health centres managed by the Catholic Church is proportionate. We have raised our concerns with the Eritrean Government, about the approach they are taking, and will continue to seek opportunities to engage on this issue and monitor the situation. As Eritrea is a priority country under the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Human Rights Reporting, we raise concerns about human rights in Eritrea regularly, both direct with the Government, – as the Minister of State for Africa did with the Eritrean Foreign Minister when she last saw him in September 2018 – and in international fora.

Burundi: Politics and Government

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the political situation in Burundi following the failure of the Inter-Burundi Dialogue; and what action they are taking at the UN to ensure that political tensions are eased ahead of the 2020 elections and that the resolution of Burundi’s political crisis remains on the international agenda.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: ​We regret that the Inter-Burundi dialogue is yet to yield a resolution to the political crisis. We call upon the Government of Burundi to engage in good faith in inclusive dialogue with all parties, that reflects the spirit of the Arusha Accord. We also call on the region to remain focused on the importance of resolving this crisis to ensure stability and prosperity in Burundi and the region.We remain very concerned that the elections will not take place in a fair and peaceful environment and we therefore continue to press for Burundi to remain on the agenda of the UN Security Council. We have been in discussions with like-minded countries to assess options for re-engaging the Government on dialogue and the upcoming elections, taking into account the role of the UN Special Envoy for Burundi and the UN Security Council.

Department for International Development

Commonwealth: Overseas Aid

lord mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what proportion of the funding they announced to support the actions agreed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting 2018 will be provided by the Department for International Development; and how much of that spending had already been committed before the 2018 meeting.

baroness sugg: At the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in 2018, Leaders agreed a series of commitments aimed at supporting a future which is fairer, more prosperous, more sustainable, and more secure. The UK Government announced funding of approximately £526.7 million for programmes and projects to support delivery of these ambitious commitments. The Department for International Development is responsible for providing nearly £400 million of this funding, none of which had been committed prior to the meeting in April 2018.

Yemen: Overseas Aid

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much aidthey have given to agencies working in Yemen over the last 12 months.

baroness sugg: We are providing £200 million in support to Yemen this financial year (2019/20). This funding, which takes our total commitment to Yemen to £770 million since the conflict began in 2015, is providing vital support to millions of vulnerable Yemenis. We provided £170 million in aid to Yemen last financial year (2018/19). This support included helping meet the food needs of four million Yemenis for one month.

Libya: Detention Centres

lord hylton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Sugg on 18 June (HL16009), whetherthey will seek to divert refugees and migrants away from detention centres in Libya.

baroness sugg: The detention centres in Libya are the responsibility of the Libyan authorities. The UK is clear that civilians in areas affected by the current conflict, including refugees and migrants, must be immediately evacuated to safety. We continue to press the Libyan authorities to pursue alternatives to detention and implement a better functioning migration system that respects human rights. Through our contribution to the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), the UK has supported the EU and Africa Union joint commitment to significantly increase voluntary returns of those who want to leave Libya, as agreed at the EU-AU Summit in November 2017. Since then, more than 57,000 people have been supported to return home, with most of these returns from Libya and Niger. Our contribution also supports the UNHCR-led evacuation of those in need of international protection from Libya to Niger and other countries (over 3,600 people to date), and their ongoing resettlement subsequent to their evacuation. Following UNHCR’s urgent appeal for resettlement places, the UK has committed to participate in the resettlement of the most vulnerable refugees who have been evacuated by UNHCR from Libya to Niger. This will include unaccompanied minors.

Department for Education

Speech and Language Therapy: Children

lord wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by the Children's CommissionerWe need to talk: Access to speech and language therapy, published on 11 June; and whether they intend to provide a response.

lord agnew of oulton: On 20 June 2019, the government released a joint ministerial letter responding to the ‘Bercow: Ten Years On’ first anniversary update report. The letter reaffirmed our commitment to supporting more effective commissioning of communication support.The NHS long-term plan recognises the importance of speech and language therapists (SLTs) and proposes that local areas design and implement models of care that are age appropriate, closer to home and bring together physical and mental health services.Our national workforce group for allied health professionals (AHPs) will be making specific recommendations, in particular for those professionals in short supply, such as SLTs. The chief allied health professions officer will further develop the national AHP strategy into action to focus on the delivery of the NHS long-term plan.We are aware of the concerns about the adequacy of funding for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England, including those with speech, language and communication needs. On 3 May 2019, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced a call for evidence from schools, colleges and local authorities to consider how the SEND and alternative provision financial arrangements in England could be improved. The call for evidence is attached and can be accessed at the following link: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/funding-for-send-and-those-who-need-ap-call-for-ev/. 



HL16635_Report
(PDF Document, 1.05 MB)

Pupil Premium: Adoption

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to raise awareness of the availability of Pupil Premium Plus funding for adopted children among parents and schools.

lord agnew of oulton: Eligibility for pupil premium plus (PP+) funding for adopted children relies on self-declaration by adoptive parents. We respect the rights of parents to choose whether or not to declare that their child is adopted but have worked with the sector, including through social media, to encourage parents to declare.Statutory guidance for designated teachers requires them to help raise previously looked-after children’s parents’ and guardians’ awareness of their entitlements, including encouraging parents of eligible previously looked-after children to tell the school if their child is eligible to attract PP+ funding.

Pupil Premium: Adoption

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the use of Pupil Premium Plus funding for adopted children is properly scrutinised.

lord agnew of oulton: For adopted children, pupil premium plus (PP+) is paid directly to their school. The school is free to use PP+ however it chooses to promote the educational outcomes of all eligible pupils. However, local authority-maintained schools must publish their strategy for using PP+ on their website and it is recommended that academies do the same.In May 2019, Ofsted published its education inspection handbook which will apply to school inspections carried out from September 2019 under the education inspection framework. This sets out how inspectors will gather evidence of the impact of the use of PP+ and how they will consider the impact of the curriculum on previously looked-after children, including those adopted from care.Statutory guidance for designated teachers requires them to encourage parents and guardians’ involvement in deciding how the PP+ is used to support their child and be the main contact for queries about its use.

Post-18 Education and Funding Review

lord blunkett: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether their assessment of the review of post-18 education and funding will take into account regional variations in salaries when examining the personal economic benefits of university study to graduates.

viscount younger of leckie: The independent panel’s report to the government is an important step in the review of Post-18 Education and Funding. The government will carefully consider the panel’s recommendations and will conclude the review at the Spending Review. The government has not yet taken decisions regarding the recommendations put forward.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoners: Foreign Nationals

lord browne of belmont: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people currently in UK prisons are not EU citizens.

lord keen of elie: As at 31 March 2019, 5,153 Foreign National Offenders from non-EU countries were held in prisons in England and Wales (including the Prison Service run Immigration Removal Centre). As at 31 March 2019, the total prison population was 82,634 at which point prisoners from non-EU countries made up 6% of the total prison population. The number of non-EU Foreign National Offenders held in prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for the devolved administrations.

Civil Servants: Convictions

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants in (1) HM Treasury, (2) the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and (3) the Ministry of Defence, have been convicted in open court and sentenced to prison for offences in connection with their officialduties, in each of the last ten years.

lord keen of elie: Detailed information on the occupation of the defendant may be held on individual court records. To be able to identify these cases, we would have to access and search individual court records which would be of disproportionate cost.

Prisoners

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the current size of the (1) general population, and (2) prison population of England and Wales; and what proportion of each of those populations were Muslim in (a) 1989, (b) 1999, (c) 2009, and (d) 2018.

lord pearson of rannoch: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many (1) Christian, and (2) Muslim, prison chaplains there were in England and Wales in (a) 1989, (b) 1999, (c) 2009, and (d) 2018.

lord keen of elie: Staffing figures for prison chaplains in public sector prisons from 1989 until 2009 are not available, as figures were not collated centrally during this period.The table below shows the number of Christian (which includes Anglican, Free Church, Roman Catholic, Orthodox) and Muslim Chaplains (full-time equivalent) employed at public prison establishments by religion of the post from the most recently collated figures. Date31 March 200931 March 2018Christian151157Muslim4561 The Department does not hold data on the general population.With regard to the proportion of the prison population who identify as Muslim, we are unable to access data from 1989 and 1999 without incurring disproportionate costs.The figures for 2009 and 2018 are available and are presented in the table below:Date30 June 200930 June 2018Total prison population83,31982,773Total prisoners recorded as Muslim9,93212,894

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Housing: Solar Power

baroness quin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent considerationthey have given to making it a requirement that all new homes be fitted with solar panels.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: The Building Regulations set minimum energy performance standards for new homes and non-domestic buildings. They are deliberately couched in performance terms and do not prescribe the technologies, materials or fuels to be used. For example, many roofs are not suitable for solar photovoltaic (PV) panels because of roof design, age, strength, or building orientation. It would therefore be implausible for a blanket requirement to deploy solar PV on every roof.We are, however, planning to consult later this year on an uplift to the Building Regulations energy efficiency standards where there are safe, practical, cost-effective, and affordable opportunities to do so.

Change of Use

baroness thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any high street building can be converted into a building for residential use under permitted development rights.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Permitted development rights enable all or part of buildings in a range of uses to change to residential use, many of which may be found on the high street. These include change of use from shops, financial services, hot food takeaways, and amusement arcades to residential use.

Change of Use

baroness thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of permitted development rights in allowing the use of high street buildings for residential use on their plans to revive local high streets under the Future High Streets Fund.

baroness thornhill: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risk of high streets becoming purely residential as a result of permitted development rights allowing residential use of high street buildings.

lord bourne of aberystwyth: Permitted development rights for change of use are part of a package of measures brought forward to support the modernisation of our high streets, helping them adapt to provide for a mix of retail, leisure, community and residential uses.  The rights for change of use from shops and financial services to residential use are subject to prior approval by the local planning authority, allowing them to consider the impact of the proposed change of use on the sustainability of the town centre and on an adequate provision of retail services.

Ministry of Defence

Cybercrime: Apprentices

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to recruit Junior Soldiers to cyber apprenticeships.

earl howe: Junior soldiers are signed up for an apprenticeship when they join, which will be specific to the trade they wish to specialise in. The Army does not currently offer a 'Cyber' apprenticeship but does offer other apprenticeships relevant to those who work in this area.Cyber security is vital to defence and training our personnel is of paramount importance to us. The Defence Cyber School, which celebrated its first-year anniversary in March, is a centre of excellence for cyber training established to meet the needs of defence and its partners, addressing all aspects of cyber training and education.

Destroyers

lord empey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the progress of the programme to ensure that the Navy's fleet of destroyers are fully fit for operations.

earl howe: The first Type 45 destroyer is due to undergo Power Improvement Project upgrades in 2020 and will be returning to sea trials in 2021. Our £160 million investment in the Power Improvement Project will provide increases in both power generation and reliability for the rest of the Type 45 destroyers' service life. It is planned that all six ships should have completed their upgrade during the mid-2020s.Like all Royal Navy ships, the Type 45 destroyers rotate through planned operating cycles involving maintenance, training, deployment, leave and capability upgrades. This results in individual ships being at various levels of readiness. The Type 45 Destroyers continue to be deployed on operations and contribute to the defence of the UK and our international partners.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

River Mersey: Plastics

baroness jones of whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps the Environment Agency are taking to prevent plastic factory waste from polluting the River Mersey.

lord gardiner of kimble: The Environment Agency (EA) regulates a number of activities locally which have the potential to cause plastic waste pollution in the River Mersey. In Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire it is responsible for the regulation of permitted and exempt plastics recycling plants, which includes reviewing inspection and compliance checks to ensure plastics recyclers are complying with their environmental permits. It is also a key partner in driving Greater Manchester’s ambition to be single use plastic free by 2020.Across England, the EA investigates any reported incidents of plastic pollution to a watercourse should it pose a significant or major risk to people, property and the natural environment.The EA does not monitor levels of plastic in watercourses as part of its monitoring regime as there are no current legislative requirements. However, the EA is working with Defra and academics to understand the different sources, pathways and impacts to develop consistent sampling and assessment monitoring methodologies for plastics. In 2018 the EA visited all facilities which treated or reprocessed plastic waste and checked they were not losing plastic fragments into surface water. The EA also encourages businesses to sign up to Operation Clean Sweep, a voluntary business initiative to take measures to reduce plastic pellet loss.

Air Pollution: Health Hazards

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of air pollution on public health; whether they intend to introduce legislation to implement World Health Organization standards for fine particulate matter into forthcoming legislation; and if so, when.

lord gardiner of kimble: Our Clean Air Strategy recognised the impacts air pollution has on health, and proposed a range of actions to meet our existing emissions reduction commitments to 2020 and 2030 in order to reduce these impacts. The Strategy also committed to the setting of an ambitious long term air quality target to reduce the population exposure to PM2.5, and committed to publishing evidence on the feasibility of meeting World Health Organization air quality guideline levels for PM2.5. This work is ongoing and will be published in due course.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Departmental Records

lord rodgers of quarry bank: To ask Her Majesty's Government where the historic records of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and its predecessor departments are stored and kept other than in the National Archives.

lord gardiner of kimble: Defra and its predecessor departments send selected records to The National Archives for permanent preservation. Files identified by Defra as public records but not yet available at The National Archives (in the process of preparation and transfer) are located with Defra’s Records Appraisal Team at Lion House, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2PF.

Home Office

Home Office: Staff

lord marlesford: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 31 May (HL15807), in what circumstances they withhold from Parliament the names of civil servants who have been convicted in open court, and sentenced to prison, for offences in connection with their official duties.

baroness williams of trafford: When a member of staff has been sentenced in court following an arrest by the Home Office Anti-Corruption team, the name of the civil servant is not disclosed. Although the names of staff members are known in court, this is not necessarily the same as being in the public domain.The disclosure of names would have to satisfy a high threshold under the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) and s.9 of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 makes it an offence to disclose the fact of an offence in respect of a rehabilitated person.

Immigration: Children

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the report by the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration An inspection of the policies and practices of the Home Office’s Borders, Immigration and Citizenship Systems relating to charging and fees, published on 4 April, what progress they have made in reviewing the level of fees for children's nationality and immigration applications and the fee waiver process; and when they expect to announce any decision on that matter.

lord russell of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that they make timely decisions following their review of the effects of charging of fees for children's nationality and immigration applications, regardless of any potential delay in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

baroness williams of trafford: The Home Office keeps its fees for immigration and nationality under regular review, including those for children’s nationality and immigration applications, and changes to individual charges need to be made with a view to maintaining the overall purpose of the fees and charging legislation.The Home Office included its response to the Chief Inspector’s recommendations around fee waivers, in its formal response which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/response-to-an-inspection-of-home-office-bics-policies-and-practices-relating-to-charging-and-fees These recommendations have been partially accepted and the Home Office has recently reviewed and updated it fee waiver policy. In addition, the Home Office has invested in recruitment and continued process improvement and also engaged with Local Authorities on how better to identify and, where required, prioritise fee waiver applications from those who are most vulnerable. Current fee levels and policies remain under consideration at this point in time.



Response - Inspection of HO Bics Policices
(PDF Document, 263.71 KB)

Department for International Trade

Trade Promotion

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Fairhead on 9 January (HL 12726), whether the Trade Commission Regional Trade Plans include recommendations for implementation; if so, how any such recommendations are being implemented; whether they will now publish the Regional Trade Plans; and if not, why not.

viscount younger of leckie: Regional trade plans (RTPs) are internal departmental documents which set out a region’s overarching strategy, objectives and priorities. They are developed in collaboration between overseas and UK based officials, and are assessed yearly. Where the Department for International Trade operates, UK overseas posts also have a plan to deliver our vision for a Global Britain, which provides the detail of how an RTP will be implemented in each market. It is the Department’s intention to publish a public version of the plans in due course.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Young People: Crimes of Violence

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support youth services working to deter young people from crime, and violent crime in particular.

lord ashton of hyde: Youth services and their strategic partners provide crucial preventative and targeted interventions and are an important partner in the strategy to tackle serious violence. My Department allocated over £863m between 2014/15 and 2018/19 to youth programmes providing positive activities for young people. The Home Office’s £200m Youth Endowment Fund will deliver a ten-year programme of grants enabling interventions targeted at those who are most at risk of involvement in crime and violence in England and Wales. This follows an investment of £22m by the Home Office between 2018/19 and 2019/20 through the Early Intervention Youth Fund to support community services which deter young people from violent crime. Her Majesty’s Government will continue to work together closely to implement the Home Office’s Serious Violence Strategy.

Arts

lord jones of cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the impact on the creative industries of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

lord ashton of hyde: Government’s analysis on how leaving the EU may affect the UK economy, including Implications for Business and Trade of a No Deal Exit, is available on gov.uk. As part of this process, the Government has worked across all sectors, including the creative industries, and published technical notices on gov.uk to help creative professionals understand the implications of No Deal, allowing them to take practical preparatory steps. The guidance includes information on trade and a partnership pack with a specific chapter on creative professionals touring in the EU in the event of No Deal.

Internet: Safety

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to regulate technology companies to improve online safety protection measures for children.

lord ashton of hyde: The Online Harms White Paper sets out our plans for world-leading legislation to make the UK the safest place in the world to be online. We intend to establish in law a new duty of care on companies towards their users, overseen by an independent regulator. This regulator will set clear safety standards, backed up by mandatory reporting requirements and effective enforcement powers. This will make companies more responsible for their users’ safety online, especially children and other vulnerable groups. In his statement to Parliament on 20 June 2019, the Secretary of State committed to producing a draft code of practice on child online safety to set clear standards for companies to keep children safe online, ahead of the new regulatory framework. The Secretary of State has commissioned new guidance, to be published in the autumn, about the use of technology to ensure that children are protected from inappropriate content online.